Senior VFX Artist

Lighthouse Games is a new AAA studio in Leamington Spa. We are defined by our pedigree of talent and serious ambition to build a new best-in-class game. When you join us at Lighthouse, you'll create the best work of your career within a collaborative, hybrid working environment. You'll learn from the best and work alongside the future greats of the gaming industry. As a Senior VFX Artist, you will be at the forefront of enhancing our games' visual experiences through cutting-edge effects that captivate our players. In this role, you will collaborate with various teams to conceptualise and implement high-calibre visual effects that align with our artistic goals. Your expertise will not only help shape the aesthetic of our projects but also serve as a guiding light for our junior artists, helping them grow and thrive in their roles. Key Responsibilities: Work alongside the Lead VFX Artist and interdisciplinary teams to design and deliver photorealistic VFX grounded in real-world reference, elevating both gameplay and immersion. Create high-fidelity effects representing natural phenomena - including rain, smoke, fire, dust, and atmospheric systems - with a strong focus on believability, physical behaviour, and material response. Develop and optimise VFX assets using industry-standard tools, ensuring a balance between visual authenticity and real-time performance. Study and apply real-world reference, motion, and physics to inform the behaviour, timing, and interaction of effects in-game. Contribute to the refinement of VFX workflows and pipelines, improving both quality benchmarks and production efficiency. Mentor junior artists, helping them transition from stylised approaches toward physically grounded, photoreal execution where required. Collaborate closely with Technical Artists and Engineers to ensure seamless, performant integration of effects within the game world. Participate in creative reviews, consistently pushing toward a best-in-class, photoreal visual standard across all VFX. Requirements Proven experience creating photorealistic VFX for games, supported by a portfolio that demonstrates strong real-world grounding (e.g. smoke, fire, weather systems, destruction, environmental effects). Deep understanding of natural phenomena and physical behaviour - how elements such as fluid, gas, heat, and particulate systems behave and interact. Strong eye for reference-driven detail, with the ability to translate real-world observation into convincing in-game effects. Proficiency with tools such as Houdini and Maya for simulation and content creation. Experience implementing and optimising VFX in Unreal Engine (Niagara) or similar real-time engines. Solid understanding of performance constraints and how to achieve high visual fidelity within them. Ability to work collaboratively across disciplines, with clear communication around both artistic intent and technical constraints. Passion for mentoring and raising the overall quality bar within a team. Preferred Qualifications: Familiarity with Unreal Engine, particularly the Niagara VFX system. Experience with Houdini and EmberGen for advanced visual effects. Knowledge of shader programming (HLSL or visual scripting for UE4/5) for creating custom effects. Benefits 25 Days Holiday, plus 1 day for your birthday Studio Shutdown between Christmas and New Year Discretionary Bonus Scheme Private Pension Scheme Private Healthcare Health and Well-Being Benefits Dental Care Optical treatments Mental Health Support